Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop to open in downtown Asheville

"We do have a store opening in Asheville soon, likely in May," wrote Ben & Jerry's "media maven," Lindsay Bumps, in an email to News 13. "It will be at 19 Haywood Street."

That address puts the new scoop shop near Ad Lib and Urban Outfitters, in the heart of downtown.

The shop's future neighbor Urban Outfitters is one of the few chain stores in downtown Asheville; others include Marble Slab and Anthropologie.

Bumps had this to say about another chain arriving in a city where many residents have strong feelings about Asheville's independent spirit: "Ben & Jerry’s is a global brand, but the majority of our Scoop Shops are owned and operated by franchisees who are local to their communities."